HB1852 Summary

• Establishes a new microbrewery-restaurant private club permit allowing nonprofits organized under Arkansas law to operate as both a microbrewery and restaurant, with production limited to 45,000 barrels per year across all commonly owned facilities.

• Requires microbrewery-restaurant private clubs to be membership-based organizations with a primary purpose beyond alcohol consumption, restrict sales to members only for on-premises consumption, and prohibit off-premises sales or sales to nonmembers.

• Sets annual permit fee at $1,500 ($3,000 in dry areas) and requires applicants to publish notice for four consecutive weeks and post notice on premises for 30 days before permit issuance, with 30-day waiting period after notice to law enforcement officials.

• Permits microbrewery-restaurant private clubs to maintain one separate brewing facility, conduct beer-tasting events in wet areas, and sell manufactured products to wholesalers, with aggregate production capped at 45,000 barrels per year.

• Amends the dry area alcohol prohibition law to allow microbrewery-restaurant private club permits as exceptions, and restricts new permits after October 1, 2019 from entities with more than 5% ownership overlap with small breweries, except for existing permit holders seeking additional permits.